Archenemy
by skycloud86
Summary: In Mexico, the final hours slowly drain away.
1. The Kiss

_**A/N – Set at the end of Episode 10 of Season Three. Dialogue is from the series itself, and like the characters is property of Fox.**_

Waking Jack up, Nina looked at him as his eyes opened. It had been a shock to see him again, and an even bigger one to find out that he was involved in the auction. She knew that Jack would never turn his back on his country, so she was heavily suspicious of what role he was playing in the events of the night.

"Jack, if you didn't come here to kill me, why are you here?," Nina enquired. She had had no idea that he was involved with the Salazars, and was angry at Amador for bringing Jack back into her life.

"I need to talk to you alone," Jack replied, even though he knew she was never agree to that. He saw the look on her face, and tried hard to figure out how he was going to get out of this alive.

"How much is your buyer paying you?," he asked, knowing that Nina's weakness was money, and the more that was offered, the more likely it was that she would take the offer. Jack didn't like to think that her only goal was money, as she was far more than that. He had come to believe that Nina's reason for her actions was so convoluted, had so many different levels,.that her motive simply could never be understood by anyone except her.

"Two million, once I deliver the virus,' Nina spoke, calmly and coolly. She was planning it out many steps at a time, so her fear of Jack finally getting his revenge never needed to be shown, nor would it affect her even in his presence.

"The Salazars are willing to pay you a lot more," Jack said, and he saw the look in her eye as he spoke. He remembered, rather reluctantly, the old Nina, who wouldn't be swayed by how much money was being offered to her. Knowing that the old Nina was simply an illusion, he focussed on the task instead of old memories. Not that that was easy, seeing as he was in the same room as Nina Myers once more.

"How much more?," Nina asked. If she was going to go along with Jack and the Salazars, she would have to find out just how much she had to gain from it, although it would have to be significantly higher than what her buyer was offering if she was going to accept. A mere difference of a few million might sway her, but if the price was four or five times higher, then she was certainly going to consider the opportunity. Cale, who was injured wand witnessing the exchange from a dark corner nearby, saw that Nina was beginning to lose track of why she was there in Mexico for.

"Who is this?," Cale demanded. Nina had not given him much information about her days at CTU. She didn't need to, as Cale was simply one of her buyer's people.

"Shut up," Nina ordered. It wasn't that he was a distraction, but she did have to show Cale who was the boss.

"This guy shouldn't be breathing," Cale said, and he was getting more anxious. If Nina were to accept the offer, what would happen to him? He certainly had no desire to be arrested, and if he managed to avoid that fate, there was a far worse one at the hands of his bosses.

"I'm handling it," Nina told him firmly, hoping that he would shut up. She knew what the risks were of double crossing her buyer, but if the price was right, she would double cross anyone, no matter how dangerous they were. After all, she had betrayed Jack Bauer and, right now, she wasn't in the least bit afraid of him. A small part of her felt angry at Jack for the times when he had made her fear for her life, and she knew that that anger would have to be kept under control if she were to accept the offer. Of course, if she didn't, then she could hurt him badly before killing him once and for all.

"How much more, Jack?," Nina asked, and her mind was ready to take appropriate action.

"At least ten times more than what you're getting paid right now," Jack answered, and once more he saw the glint in her eyes. The warm blue eyes that he had once gazed into lovingly were now cold and emotionless, and he felt hate, not love, when he looked at her.

"Really? That's a pretty great deal. So, what happens when my buyer doesn't get his virus? You know, he's gonna hunt me down and kill me," Nina replied, and both of them heard very clearly trhe last sentence. Jack somehow sympathised with her buyer in this regard, and Nina knew this.

"You know, with that kind of money you could disappear and never be found," Jack encouraged her. 20 million would certainly ensure her safety for the rest of her life, and he could almost see her mind considering the offer.

"Yeah, and what about you?," Nina spoke, and for a split second Jack thought she was concerned for him. He soon realised that she was wondering about him coming after her.

"The Salazars are paying me enough money to do what I want for the rest of my life," Jack responded, hoping that it would encourage Nina. She would be worried about him coming after her, but if he could do anything he wanted, maybe that would take his mind off of her once and for all.

"I don't believe you, Jack. I think you're still working for CTU," Nina said, and Jack had to try hard not to show any sign of anxiety, in case he revealed the truth.

"Well, you're wrong," Jack replied. To him, this reply sounded silly, almost childish and he knew it wouldn't convince her, but he felt that silence would only confirm her suspicions.

"Come on Jack, you're not the type to sell out. You'd do anything for your country," Nina spoke, unable to comprehend Jack ever betraying his country. To her, he was the good little soldier boy, who never questioned his patriotism. Not that she was utterly unpatriotic herself, it was just that she saw far more important things in life than serving her country. Maybe the young Nina did, but not now, not after everything she had been through.

"There was a time when that was true. But what did it ever get me? I lost everything. When I went undercover with the Salazars, I had to give them my soul. When I brought Ramon Salazar in, what was waiting for me? Noone. Nothing!," Jack replied, his emotions coming through. He truly felt these emotions to some extent, but he hoped that by exaggerating them, he would convince Nina once and for all.

"What about Kim?," Nina asked, remembering his daughter. She had met the kid on the day of her mother's death, and she was not at all impressed.

"She never forgave me for what happened to her mother. I want to give her most of the money, help her trying to get through everything that's happened," Jack replied, and again this was true to some extent, although he knew that Kim didn't truly blame him for her mother's death.

"OK, so, say you are working alone. I killed your wife. What's gonna keep you from killing me the first chance you get?," Nina asked. She wasn't fully convinced yet, and she knew that she had to be completely sure of Jack before she could accept his offer.

"I don't have a choice. I broke Ramon Salazar out of an American prison. I can never go back there again. This is my one shot at a big score. - After that, I swear you, I just wanna disappear," Jack spoke. His answer didn't really answer her question, but he hoped that she would see it as a sign of a truce, that he was not willing to spend the rest of his life running around chasing her.

"We've wasted enough time, Nina. You kill him or I'm calling in," Cale spoke, his voice demanding a conclusion to the reunion.

"Fair enough," Nina replied, and she placed the gun onto Jack's forehead. Looking straight into his eyes, she thought for a moment. Jack kept his eyes on hers, desperately hoping that she would accept his offer.

As Jack's body flew backwards from the force of the point blank shot, Nina looked at him with mixed emotions. Although glad to have finally gotten rid of him, she felt sorrow that he was gone, and the part of her that still held some love for him would never be satisfied. Walking towards Cale, she didn't look back at Jack's body.


	2. The Virus

_**A few hours later..**_

The night, which had been full of twists and turns, was almost over for Nina and Cale as they sped away from the meeting point, with the Cordilla virus in their possession. Amador had been more than happy to sell it to Nina in the first place, and she was angry at him for allowing Jack even the slightest chance of exacting his revenge. The moment their eyes had met, the second they saw each other for the first time in years had been a shock to the system for Nina, and it had taken her a few minutes to calm the internal nerves she felt.

"The boss says that we need to travel east for 30 miles, until we reach an old airfield. There we'll be flown to his hideout," Cale explained as he manoeuvred the car through the dark and barren roads of the northern Mexican desert. Nina nodded and allowed herself to close her eyes for a second. Cale was one of her more trusted bodyguards, and the two had worked closely together for some time, so she felt safe around him. Cale, however, sometimes felt as if he was seconds away from being betrayed by Nina, even though he knew that she had no reason to do so unless it was in her interests, and why would it be in her interests to kill him? He remembered the scene back in the old church when Nina had Bauer handcuffed to a chair and had seemed almost like she was considering betraying their employer. He had sensed that she was seriously considering shooting him instead of Jack, and he had felt so relieved when the bullet tore through Jack's face, yet he also felt guilty. Reminding himself that he had no reason to feel guilty, he had quickly forgotten about Jack.

Taking the vial out of her pocket, Nina examined it, and wondered why the thing seemed heavier then when she had examined the contents to ensure that it was the real deal. Twisting the cap slowly, Cale looked at her with panicked eyes, and Nina had to hold back laughter. Suddenly, a strange noise could be heard coming from the vial itself.

"Is that supposed to happen?," Cale asked, but Nina had no time to answer his question as the vial exploded, killing them both immediately. As the flames spread inside the car and the smoke rose high above it, noone saw the explosion on a rural road in the northern Mexican desert, and noone knew that Nina Myers, elite mercenary and feared terrorist, had just died.


End file.
